23

Top eLearning
Professionals

Fre e e B o o k
ifi c a ti o n R e s h a p e s L e a rn in g
How Gam
Free eBook - How Gamification Reshapes Learning

Table of Contents

I N T R O D U C T I O N.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 MARIO HERGER........................................ 15

AN COPPENS.............................................. 4 M I C H A E L H U G O S .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6

ANDREW HUGHES...................................... 5 MICHAEL OSBORNE................................. 17

ANYA ANDREWS......................................... 6 N A T A L I E D E N M E A D E.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8

AUSTIN L. MEREDITH................................ 7 P A N A G I O T I S Z A H A R I A S .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9

B R Y A N A U S T I N .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 R O M A N R A C K W I T Z .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0

JAMES BOWEN............................................ 9 R O S S S M I T H.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1

JOHN CARLOS LOZANO........................... 10 S A N T O S H K U M A R .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2

KARL M. KAPP.......................................... 11 S H A R O N B O L L E R .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3

K I R S T Y C H A D W I C K .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 SHERRY JONES......................................... 24

MARIGO RAFTOPOULOS.......................... 13 T. RAVEN MEYERS.................................... 25

M A R I N A A R S H A V S K I Y.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 VICKI KUNKEL.......................................... 26

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 Free eBook - How Gamification Reshapes Learning
Introduction
Table of Contents

BY CHRISTOPHER PAPPAS
No Game, No Gain!
Dedicated Learning Professionals and Educators across the globe were until recently desperately seeking
for ways, methods and techniques to engage employees and students in the learning process. Surprisingly
enough no one would think that games was the answer. After all, games tend to increase learners natural
Christopher Pappas
desire for competition, goal achievement, and genuine self-expression, while they also promote interactivity,
Founder of The eLearning Industrys Network.
have rules, a quantifiable outcome, and can be colorful, appealing, and extremely realistic. Currently, the eLearning Industry has a network
of more than 75,000 professionals involved in the
Enter Gamification
eLearning Industry.
Gamification is the use of game thinking and mechanics in a non-game context to inspire employees and Christopher holds an MBA, and an M.Ed. (Learning
students to get engaged in the learning process. The word itself was launched in 2002 by Nick Pelling, a Design) from BGSU.
British IT expert, but wasnt widely used until 2010. Based on extended research conducted by numerous
Publish an eLearning Article - Become an eLearning
educational institutions, what makes games effective for learning is the learners level of activity, motivation, Blogger!
interactivity and engagement. This increases their fluid, as well as crystallized intelligence, something that by
Would you like to share your eLearning expertise with
definition optimizes learning.
more than 150,000 readers? Do you want to have your
The Most Effective Uses of Gamification in Learning! name out there? Then write for eLearning Industry!

In this Free How Gamification Reshapes Learning ebook you will find useful information about Gamification,
its applications, and its impact on the reshaping of learning, provided by 23 Gamification professionals. They
were all carefully selected based on their specialized knowledge on Gamification, education and business, as
well as their innovative projects in this field. They share their wisdom and provide tips on the effective use of
Gamification in the learning process.
Enjoy reading the 2nd of our recently launched free Learning eBooks series and feel free to contact our
top-notch Gamification professionals for more information.

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 Free eBook - How Gamification Reshapes Learning
What are the most effective uses
Table of Contents

of Gamification in Learning?
BY AN COPPENS
In my view we always learn better when the experience is FUN. As a trainer, I often used games to illustrate
behaviors and to bring home important points in a training session. What I found is that how we do one An Coppens
thing is how we do other things too, so our choices in a game very often reflect how we would behave in
a real life scenario. Position: Chief Game Changer

Where possible, I convince clients to put their learners in the driving seat and then build decision points in a Company: Gamification Nation
learning experience based on relevant situations and choices with the same instant feedback as you would Short Bio
receive in a game. For example, in a recent eLearning workshop on environmental awareness, I created An Coppens is the Chief Game Changer at
the choices the learner could make and based on each choice they had different consequences; some staff Gamification Nation Ltd, where the vision is to
followed procedures, some got fined and a rare few would end up in jail for serious law violations. make business and learning more fun and engaging.
She is an award winning business coach, learning &
A great game typically has a compelling storyline with a plot where the player becomes the main development professional, author and speaker.
protagonist and hero on a journey through a number of challenges. I believe this is where learning meets
Through Gamification Nation, An offers consulting
a combination of Hollywood and multi-player online game. You need a good plot and a series of lifelike services and online learning programs to assist
challenges for the learner with increasing levels of difficulty. organizations with creating lasting experiences
customers remember, by applying game psychology
I am currently scoping a simulation for media planners in the television industry, where the learner becomes and game design techniques to non-game
a media planner with an increasing portfolio of advertising to place in the TV-schedule based on rules and situations. She is currently ranked in the top 25
regulations of the company, how it was sold by sales team, as well as the industry standards. The journey gamification gurus globally with her Twitter alter
and choices you make could have you promoted to specialist, generalist, team leader or in the worst case ego @GamificationNat. On the Gamification
scenario fined and fired. By introducing different challenges with increasing levels of difficulty you mimic Nation blog she contributes a weekly gamification
mechanic and more views on how gamification
the learning curve of a new employee and options the employees really have to make. The added bonus works for businesses.
of an in-company game is that you can play against your colleagues and even your managers, which adds
You can visit her website at: ancoppens.com
the psychological driver of peer pressure and team fun with visual scores and leaderboards.
Gamification in learning works best when you make the learner think and you let them experience the
consequences of their choices.

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 Free eBook - How Gamification Reshapes Learning
What are the most effective uses
Table of Contents

of Gamification in Learning?
BY ANDREW HUGHES
Increased user retention is key to any effective application of Gamification. When users remember the
learning material, apply it to their real lives, and come back to learn more, you know your project has been Andrew Hughes
successful. This is the ultimate achievement for any educator or business professional looking to take full
advantage of Gamified training. Position: President

Our team at Designing Digitally, Inc. has had the opportunity to work with an extensive variety of clients, Company: Designing Digitally, Inc.
and whether our clients are business professionals or are attached to a university or government agency, Short Bio
they all are looking for ways to ensure users take what theyve learned away with them and apply it to their Andrew Hughes founded Designing Digitally, Inc.,
daily lives. Through my own experiences, Ive found that the best way to achieve a projects learning goals which specializes in eLearning, Training Simulations,
is by leveraging the benefits that game mechanics provide, particularly mechanics that promote social Serious Games, and Virtual Immersive Learning.
interaction and competition. Andrew has an extensive experience in education, as
a professor at both the University of Cincinnati and
One of my favorite examples of this is from our own teams work. Using Gamification and the Microsoft at the Art Institute of Ohio Cincinnati. Currently,
Kinect, we developed a tool that enables patients recovering from strokes to practice relearning the skills Andrew is the president of Designing Digitally, Inc.
theyll use at home. By simulating the actual tasks they will perform in a safe virtual environment, they and also a curriculum evaluator for ACICS (Accrediting
Council for Independent Colleges and Schools). The
are able to return more easily to their usual daily routines. All of this is wrapped up in an immersive, majority of Andrews experience has been in the
engaging platform with a competitive social scoring system where users can earn badges and compare development of enterprise learning solutions for
their performance to both to their own past results and to other users results. Government and Fortune 500 clients. Moreover,
Andrew was a consultant for the Ohio Board of
Gamification can transform your material into something meaningful that users will carry with them long Regents and the U.S. Department of Education for
after theyve finished your training. Try it out in your own projects. I guarantee the results are worth it. the Office of Innovation, where he helped to develop
ground-breaking learning spaces for the K-12 sector.
Having successfully taken on responsibilities in
instructional design, project management, sales,
and leading his own team, Andrew has propelled
Designing Digitally, Inc. to be an award winning virtual
immersion and eLearning company.

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 Free eBook - How Gamification Reshapes Learning
What are the most effective uses
Table of Contents

of Gamification in Learning?
BY ANYA ANDREWS, PH.D., PMP
Besides the learner audience engagement and development of target behaviors through the power of
gameplay, the most effective uses of gamification in learning should capitalize on its ability to transform Anya Andrews, Ph.D., PMP
the learning process. To be considered transformative, gamification efforts must produce a high-impact
positive change for a given learning environment instead of making it just a little more fun for the learners. Position: President

When I think about transformation, I always remember a project for a Navy client who asked my team to Company: Erudition Corporation
explore the potential of incorporating gameplay into an existing leadership training program, or, in other Short Bio
words, gamifying it. Considering that back in 2007, the term gamification had not yet gained the popularity it Dr. Anya Andrews is an award-winning instructional
enjoys today, our project officially focused on creating a serious game to foster leadership skills of junior officer systems architect, specializing in serious games
staff. The produced serious game was based on a collection of sea stories illustrating real-life leadership and immersive learning simulations for training,
challenges and included a healthy combination of narrative, challenge, meaningful choice, achievement, and education, and human performance improvement. As
the founder and president of Erudition Corporation,
other great elements of gameplay. The game was very well received within the Navy and even earned several
she leads the companys learning innovation
awards, which made my team extremely happy. However, what mattered most was the fact that, by way of this programs for corporate, academic, and government
game, the existing learning process (jokingly referred to by our Navy friends as GSAT: Guys Sitting Around the clients. Anyas professional credo involves designing
Table) was transformed into a compelling, context-driven, self-reinforcing learning experience that allowed sound learning solutions by bridging the gap between
the learners to explore a multi-dimensional slice of reality instead of simply reviewing a case study book. In research and practice. Dr. Andrews also serves as
a senior faculty at the University of Central Florida,
todays terms, we would say that the existing learning process became gamified.
Institute for Simulation and Training and was recently
Whether gamification is viewed as a set of strategies, tactics, or products for learning, its most effective named one of the top executives under the age of 40
uses will always be those that enable a significantly positive change to meet the needs of a particular by the Orlando Business Journal.
learning environment.

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 Free eBook - How Gamification Reshapes Learning
What are the most effective uses
Table of Contents

of Gamification in Learning?
BY AUSTIN L. MEREDITH
In our day and age where distance education participation is emerging, new methods of increasing learners
interests are in high demand. The recent development of gamification meets this need, and has captured the Austin L. Meredith
attention of not only learners, but also of institutions seeking to increase user participation and retention.
Gamification is a trend expected to expand, especially in the use of teaching those with learning disabilities. Position: Training & Development Associate
I, myself, have Attention Deficit Disorder and along with other people experiencing the same issue have Company: Digital Management Inc.
reacted positively to courses with gamification elements. Those of us who suffer from ADD or ADHD can
Short Bio
get easily distracted from learning, because it can become a monotonous practice of regurgitating the
information learned. By adding engaging elements to educational material, gamification significantly helps Austin Meredith holds a Bachelors degree from the
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
in capturing the attention of those that have a hard time focusing on learning in a normal setting. Not only
and is currently working on his Masters degree
is information retention increased, but adding these elements creates a positive association with learning, in Instructional Systems Design with a focus on
which is very difficult for those with attention disorders. I believe that in the next few years there will be a gamification at the same school.
need for adding gamification elements to learning for those with various learning disabilities.
Austin works at Digital Management Inc., where his
duties include administering the entire career and
professional development program and Learning
Management System. Currently, he is researching
the use of gamification elements in designing
learning programs for those with disabilities.

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 Free eBook - How Gamification Reshapes Learning
What are the most effective uses
Table of Contents

of Gamification in Learning?
BY BRYAN AUSTIN
The holy grail of corporate learning is to improve job performance. There are several challenges that make
this extraordinarily difficult, including: Bryan Austin
Are there enough skill application-level exercises and scenarios in the training? Complex skills cannot
Position: Chief Game Changer
be assimilated in minutes it takes hours of practice.
Company: Game On! Learning
Is the training engaging and challenging enough to capture the best efforts of the learner to master the skills?
Short Bio
Will the learner develop enough confidence through the training to actually apply the new skills on the job? Bryan Austin is the Founder and Chief Game
Changer of Game On! Learning. Throughout his 25-
Is the training followed with the needed reinforcement and coaching to anchor the knowledge or skill?
year career with leading organizations like SkillSoft,
Ive been in corporate learning for 25 years and have never witnessed more impactful learning outcomes NETg and Kaplan, Bryan has dedicated himself to
and performance improvement than those produced by game-based simulations. helping organizations develop high performing
employees through innovative learning solutions. A
We provided online game-based negotiation training to a California-based agency that works with hallmark of Bryans approach is his keen ability to
businesses to get their state taxes current. At the conclusion of the training, we conducted a group exercise, think outside the box and create engaging, skills-
based learning experiences that accelerate employee
where each group was given a case study and was asked to create a solution. According to the training
growth and productivity.
team lead, The participants were able to apply what they have learned in the game and discuss it with the
other students and instructors. This exercise solidified and grounded the training into real life situations The fusion of technology and learning has always
captivated Bryan, and he has led companies that
that employees may experience, and allowed them to see a new way to approach each scenario.
provide cutting-edge, technology-delivered learning
I saw a difference in how the pilot group approached a scenario, applied techniques that were clearly solutions to medium, large, and global companies.
For Bryan, it has been fascinating to be a part of the
learned from the course, and came up with win-win situations for both the agency and the public.
evolution of corporate learning and development.
From a learning transference perspective, the training lead is impressed with the performance impact of
the game. Several weeks after the training, I received responses from several participants. Each said they
selected cases other employees were unable to resolve, and using the techniques taught in the game,
they approached the cases from an entirely new perspective. They worked with the business owner to
negotiate a solution that allowed the taxpayer to resolve their issues, and the state to clear the account. In
all cases, the taxpayer expressed satisfaction with the outcome.

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 Free eBook - How Gamification Reshapes Learning
What are the most effective uses
Table of Contents

of Gamification in Learning?
BY JAMES BOWEN, PHD, PMP
Gamification can shift the motivation for learning from extrinsic to intrinsic. Games are a way to experience
the world in ways not possible in reality and thus tap into a natural learning process and enjoyment. In James Bowen, Phd, PMP
education, gamification can create learning environments that condense the learning time of key ideas
and allow students the possibility to explore concepts while enhancing the natural intrinsic motivation of Position: Founder
learning. This interaction with a simulated environment leads to a higher level of engagement. Company: Experiential Simulations
Experiential Simulations Entrepreneurship game Traction has gamification elements, such as leaderboards, Short Bio
badges, competition, and feedback. Players experience a start-up environment both post and pre-revenue At the age of 21 and while still an undergrad, James
while maximizing the overall game score. Players can collect badges for completion of product testing co-founded a software company and over the next
or obtainment of standards. Obtaining badges and other achievements within the game have a random 20 years managed to build a solid international client
element associated with them. This random element means that the reward isnt predetermined from a base. He has been involved with 10 universities, 4
start-ups, 4 books, and taught over 7000 students.
given set of actions, which makes the accomplishment more enjoyable.
He is the inventor of a few software products. He
This mixture of randomness mirrors reality in startup environment. The entrepreneurial world is characterized is currently focused on changing the way we learn
by uncertainly, information deficits and randomness. Real world entrepreneurs tend to be extrinsically and through games and simulations.
intrinsically motivated. The struggle to succeed -despite many setbacks- typically requires a high degree of
intrinsic motivation for an entrepreneur. Thus, Traction helps create this intrinsic motivation through the
use of gamification elements, such as badges, scores and leaderboards. The enjoyment of achievement and
exploring while playing Traction tends to create a deeper level of knowledge.

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 Free eBook - How Gamification Reshapes Learning
What are the most effective uses
Table of Contents

of Gamification in Learning?
BY JOHN CARLOS LOZANO
Basic gaming principles are well known: challenges, points, rewards. Yet, an important strategy that has the
potential to revolutionize training and performance improvement is to approach gamification holistically. John Carlos Lozano
Lets step into the shoes of the learner and think about his or her experience.
Position: Creative Director
The first moment of truth occurs on a macro level, when learners first interact with a learning portal.
Within the portal, the curriculum (you might call it the portals nervous system) defines and connects all the Company: SweetRush
learning paths. If the curriculum is difficult to understand, its a de-motivator: think back to college when Short Bio
you tried to figure out the right classes you needed to graduate. An easy and engaging user experience will John-Carlos Lozano is the Creative Director at
guide and motivate learners, which we know is the key to the portals adoption. SweetRush. He is the driving force in exploring and
developing higher levels of custom interactivity,
This is where gamification is your friend. Gamification helps learners interact with the curriculum in simulation, and gamification in learning for a long list
a different way, and forces portal designers to think more critically about user interface, improving the of clients, including Bridgestone, Petco, and Bank of
experience. Heres just one example: allow learners to collect badges by completing certain courses. America. With a dual degree in graphic design and
Badges in turn increase the learners overall rank, and unlock other more challenging courses. Now, illustration/animation, he is an extraordinary artist,
learners have a clear picture of the path ahead of them and have fun along the way. and a passionate learner, leader, and teacher. He
sets the bar of quality, never accepts status quo, and
The second moment of truth happens at the micro level, when learners experience their first learning constantly pushes his phenomenally talented team
event. At this level, a reward system provides guidance and engagement similar to the portal (macro) of artists, designers, and animators to reach higher.
John-Carlos is impressive, humble, personable,
level. A sales course we recently developed had the goal of dispelling misconceptions about a product
patient, and consultative and, just like on his surf
line: if learners could correctly identify the clients misconceptions, they would earn a medal and unlock a board, always ready to take on a new wave.
humorous 3D animated video.
He can be reached at john-carlos@sweetrush.com.
When thinking gamification, think holistically. Create a fun and engaging user experience, while guiding
and motivating learners to acquire the knowledge and skills that will improve their performance, and you
will accomplish your overall business objectives. Its a win-win situation!
Discover more effective gamification techniques from John-Carlos at the SweetRush website: Creative
Design for Engagement.

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 Free eBook - How Gamification Reshapes Learning
What are the most effective uses
Table of Contents

of Gamification in Learning?
BY KARL M. KAPP
Why are games fun? Why do we engage in games? The answer is because they have the elements of challenge,
mastery, fun and socialization. These are the elements of games that we can leveraged to promote learning. Karl M. Kapp
An example of this in a classroom setting is to use game elements in a presentation. First divide the audience into
two teams and give them instructions on how to use their cell phones to text answers via an audience response Position: Professor of Instructional Technology,
Author, Consultant
system (I use PollEverywhere.com). Then, ask a question and have audience members respond to the question
via a text answer. In real-time the learners can see their teams answers as a percentage of respondents for each Company: Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, PA
choice versus the other teams answers. This allows learners to feel they are part of a larger social group (their Short Bio
team) and they are challenged to answer the questions. After all the audience responses are collected, reveal the
Karl M. Kapp, Ed.D., CFPIM, CIRM, is an
correct answer. Whenever I use this technique, I find a great deal of laughter and fun during the presentation
internationally known scholar, writer and expert
because the elements of games keep it fun as well as educational. on the convergence of learning, technology and
Another example is to start the learning event with a challenge. Humans love challenges and its a large part of business operations. Karl is a full-time professor of
why we play games and it is a great design tool for creating gamification. So rather than start an eLearning lesson instructional technology at Bloomsburg University in
Bloomsburg, PA.
or classroom lecture with a list of objectives, instead, start with a challenge. For example here are two typical
objectives for teaching skills required during an audit: He has written two books on gamification and
learning, The Gamification of Learning and
Adhere to the proper policy for providing information to clients Instruction: Game-Based Methods and Strategies for
Understand what is permissible to share with clients and what is not Training and Education and is one of the co-authors
of the accompanying Fieldbook The Gamification
Scrap the objectives and provide the learner with a challenge: of Learning and Instruction Fieldbook: Theory Into
You are gathering data during the first day of an audit. During lunch, Mary approaches you and tells you that she Practice with Rich Mesh and Lucas Blair.
has something important to discuss. The two of you go to your office and she makes an accusation that the VP You can visit his website at: karlkapp.com
of Finance is hiding an account
What is the first thing you should do?
Which learning environment would you rather step into? You can still study the proper policy and what can be
shared with clients, but now you are doing it in the context of a challenge and a story and it is far more engaging
than learning content listed in a bulleted format and more educationally sound.
Effective gamification taps into emotions, challenge, socialization and mastery.

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 Free eBook - How Gamification Reshapes Learning
What are the most effective uses
Table of Contents
of Gamification in Learning?
BY KIRSTY CHADWICK
Gamification is an extremely effective concept that helps learners retain the maximum amount of
information by providing them with audio and visual stimulants, and encouraging them to explore their
environment in order to attain rewards. Gamification enables learning at a faster pace in a forgiving
environment, which allows for risk-free mistakes. Even if youre not a gamer, you are likely to be intrigued
by the tasks presented in a gamified training course, and this will encourage you to continue exploring.
Recently we created a training course for a client that contained a number of legal terms that employees
were struggling to digest. The gamified solution that we provided them with was an island where learners
had to explore and complete tasks in order to be able to move to the next part of the game. The legal
terms were turned into fun quizzes with visual aids to help learners remember what they had been taught.
Finding all the vital information on this island required them to use their own initiative to figure out where
to go and what to do next. As they completed the tasks, they were given immediate feedback, which
encouraged them to continue to their quest.
Gamification transforms the chore of seemingly tedious training into employee interest and enthusiasm.
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Kirsty Chadwick
Position: Founder & Chair
Company: The Training Room Online
Short Bio
Kirsty Chadwick is the Founder & Chair of the e-learning design and
development company, The Training Room Online. With just over
20 years experience in the field of education, Kirsty has developed
a keen sense for overcoming learning challenges. She knew from a
very young age that she wanted to be involved in developing people
and helping them grow, and while in London, she was introduced to
the possibilities of e-learning.
Kirsty has spoken internationally on incorporating technology
into training, and is passionate about developing people. Before
establishing The Training Room Online in 2008, Kirsty worked in
the financial sector, managing a successful mortgage brokerage
for 6 years. The Training Room Online was founded when she saw
a need for alternative training solutions in South Africa. Using the
latest cutting-edge technology, The Training Room Online provides
customised e-learning solutions to both the private and public
sectors and is dedicated to providing personal and professional
service to all their clients.
Kirsty plays a vital role in new business development, key account
management and the international expansion of the company and
she often travels to other countries as a result thereof. She has
chosen to surround herself with colleagues who share her passion
for learning, and together, they are effecting change in the field of
education by giving back to the communities, empowering people
and breaking negative cycles. Working across various industries,
from corporate to industrial, has equipped Kirsty and The Training
Room Online with a unique skillset that is offered to each individual
client. Kirsty believes that the key to overcoming challenges and
difficulties is to be proactive and always strive to give your best.
 Free eBook - How Gamification Reshapes Learning
What are the most effective uses
Table of Contents

of Gamification in Learning?
BY MARIGO RAFTOPOULOS
SThe Learner as a Hero
Engagement and motivation are at the heart of the gamification of learning. The learning industry has been built on a solid
platform of efficiency, accuracy and throughput. However, what we need now is to think more like game designers, so that we Marigo Raftopoulos
move away from a content-push approach to one that entices people on a quest to learn.
I had been using games and game elements in my corporate work for a long time. Nevertheless, it wasnt until my son Position: Founder and CEO
encountered learning difficulties at school that I truly appreciated the power of games to transform the environments in which Company: Strategic|Games|Lab
we learn. After trying many different ways to engage him with learning, it was playing the game of Civilization that provided an
immersive environment that enabled him to learn. We soon discovered that it wasnt my son that had the learning difficulty, but Short Bio
the environment that had a teaching difficulty.
Marigo is a strategic business advisor specialising
The game of Civilization, like most well-designed games, tap key intrinsic motivators that hold the player during gameplay (and in innovation using games, gamification, systems
in my sons case, to learn how to read and do math). For example: thinking and experience design. Marigo is the
The player is a hero on a journey to build an empire, who then founder and CEO of Strategic|Games|Lab, co-
founder and co-chair of Games for Change Australia-
Solves a series of problems that will grow, improve and defend the empire, who then New Zealand, and advisor to several technology
Encounters a series of challenges that include exploration, warfare, trade, diplomacy, resource allocation and advancing incubators and start-ups. Marigo works with a wide
technology range of global clients in accelerating innovation
Notice that I didnt mention game mechanics? They are only there to provide feedback on performance and results and are not and organisational development using the tools of
the core experience. The most effective use of gamification in learning is to create an overall context and narrative, and then engagement that are fundamental to game design
select the most appropriate game elements to create an immersive experience to take a player on a journey. and gamification.
My advice to learning professionals when working with software vendors, subject matter experts, instructional designers and Marigo holds a Bachelor of Economics degree and
stakeholders is to take control over their project: a Master of Business Administration from Monash
You are designing learning experiences , therefore what sort of off-line, augmented, playful and gameful experiences are University in Melbourne, Australia, and an Executive
you using to complement your traditional e-learning modules? Certificate in Systems Dynamics from the MIT Sloan
Business School, Boston MA. Marigo is currently
Take another look at your learner personas and rebuild them a different way. What sort of players are they? What motivates
researching for her PhD in the gamification of
them? What is their heros journey?
enterprise innovation at RMIT University in Melbourne.
What is your organisations story, and is your learning woven into its fabric? This makes all your organisational learning
meaningful and purposeful to your learners.
There is no boring content, only boring delivery.
This approach requires a systemic rethink and redesign of how we engage and motivate people to learn. A great start is to
think of instructors as game masters, and our learners as players so we can begin to challenge traditional assumptions about
learning and instruction to create better experiences for our learners.

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 Free eBook - How Gamification Reshapes Learning
What are the most effective uses
Table of Contents

of Gamification in Learning?
BY MARINA ARSHAVSKIY
I believe that gamification is very useful for increasing employee engagement, developing leadership skills,
and encouraging cultural changes. Marina Arshavskiy
I look at gamification as the application of gaming mechanics to non-gaming environments. For example, gaming
Position: Owner of Your ELearning World, Instructional
elements, such as points, badges, achievements, competition, etc., can be easily transferred to real life. Think of Designer, eLearning Specialist
credit cards: the more you shop, the more points you get. Then, these points can be redeemed for cash, gift cards,
Company: Your ELearning World
etc. You are much more likely to use the same credit card if you receive points that add up to rewards.
Short Bio
ELearning gamification should resemble real-life situations and experiences. It should be fun and engaging.
The luxury hotel chain Marriott offers a gaming application called My Marriot Hotel to recruit employees. Marina Arshavskiy is the owner of Your eLearning
World, an eLearning company committed to helping
As part of the game, individuals can create their own hotel restaurant, purchase supplies for the kitchen, organizations become more effective, by creating
manage orders from the chefs, and even hire staff. Players are motivated by a point systemplayers gain groundbreaking, result-oriented learning solutions.
points if the customers are satisfied, and lose them if they provide poor service. The goal is to help people Marina has extensively consulted private organizations
acquire new knowledge and skills and apply that newly acquired knowledge to the real hotel to fill one and government entities, both in the United States
of the many job openings available across the globe. The My Marriot Hotel game contains the essential and abroad. Her course designs have won multiple
awards and helped take organizations to the next
elements of gamification, including goal-setting, an instant feedback system, interactive competition, level. Marina has been passionately involved in
virtual rewards, and leveling up within a program or application. instructional design and eLearning for nearly a
decade, and is also the author of an extremely
When instructional designers create games, they should try to extract the motivational techniques from
insightful book on the subject, Instructional Design
these games and use them for life-applicable learning. Gamification works much better than traditional for eLearning: Essential guide to creating successful
training methods because people typically enjoy actively engaging and competing with others. Games eLearning courses. Marinas major area of expertise is
provide safe environments for practice, while teaching essential knowledge and skills. the design of innovative eLearning courses that bring
results and improve performance.
You can read her blog at:
www.yourelearningworld.com/blog

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of Gamification in Learning?
BY MARIO HERGER
When I watch my young children exploring the world, they literally kill themselves out of curiosity, if my
wife and me werent keeping them from getting seriously hurt. Nothing is safe from our three boys, as Mario Herger
they touch, explore, and play with things. And have fun. But when they will become teenagers, they will
just hang in the classroom like rotten meat. If we destroy their natural curiosity, they will become totally Position: Founder & CEO
unengaged and cynical. Nothing would seem to engage them anymore, except videogames. Here they Company: Enterprise Gamification Consultancy LLC
can spend hours playing, engaging, and learning; but not in the traditional way. When do you remember
Short Bio
reading a manual teaching you how to play Angry Birds or Candy Crush?
Mario Herger is the founder and partner
Play is important for learning. According to a report on educational games presented by Don Menn of Enterprise Gamification Consultancy LLC.
at the 2006 Summit of the Federation of American Scientists, students recall just 10% of what they He has served as Senior Innovation Strategist at SAP
read and 20% of what they hear. If there are visuals accompanying an oral presentation, the number Labs in Palo Alto, California and Global Head of the
Gamification Initiative at SAP, where he had worked
rises to 30%, and if they observe someone carrying out an action while explaining it, 50%. But students
for 15 years. In 2013, he co-founded the Austrian
remember 90% if they do the job themselves, even if only as a simulation. Innovation Center Silicon Valley (AICSV).
So why do we still design our educational systems in a way that actually kills curiosity and doesnt emphasize As the Head of the Gamification Initiative at SAP
on immersive experiences? Such a traditional design wastes a tremendous amount of human potential and he has supported the gamification efforts of all
its time we upgrade our 19th century education system to the 21st. For that we have to overcome prejudices departments, such as those of Sustainability, On
Demand, Mobile, HR, Training & Education, Banking,
(we have serious work to do and no time for fun), and accept that teachers and teaching need to change.
etc. He raised awareness around gamification, by
Good teachers knew that all along, and the lessons that Mary Poppins taught us are more than just organizing and leading innovation events, holding
fiction. Keep the play in learning, and avoid killing curiosity. dozens of workshops, working with gamification
platform and service providers and game studios,
consulting and advising organizations, and
incorporating gamification into SAPs strategy.

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 Free eBook - How Gamification Reshapes Learning
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of Gamification in Learning?
BY MICHAEL HUGOS
Techniques from real-time strategy games (RTSs) and massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) offer
field-tested examples for teaching complex skills to large numbers of people in a way that is engaging, and Michael Hugos
encourages them to continue learning. Such games employ two key techniques. The first one is the use of
3D virtual worlds to show players what is happening. These 3D virtual worlds are highly effective because the Position: Managing Principal
human brain is capable of handling enormous amounts of data if it is presented as moving three dimensional Company: SCM Globe Corp.
images; thats how we see the real world. The second technique is the use of heads-up displays (HUDs) that
Short Bio
provide players with real-time displays of data in the form of graphs and numbers. Players can customize
their HUDs to get the information they need. Michael Hugos is an author, speaker and principal
at SCM Globe. His work combines ideas from
RTS and MMO games are, in effect, interactive simulations where players learn by doing. They try things, and systems thinking and game theory to devise elegant
see what works and what does not. And they get to practice what does work, and get better and better. This solutions to complex problems. Building on his
professional experience in information technology
speaks directly to that old saying, Tell me, and Ill forget. Show me, and Ill remember. Involve me, and Ill learn.
and supply chain management, he has developed
My company employs techniques from these games in an online learning application called SCM Globe. It a game-based design and simulation application
is an interactive simulation that provides a 3D virtual world and customizable HUD to enable students to used in universities and certificate programs
around the world to meet the growing demand
design and simulate the operations of real or fictional company supply chains. Using simulation results, to educate people in supply chain management.
students improve the design of their supply chains until they achieve the results they want. In the process His undergraduate degree is in architecture and
they learn about the operations of global supply chains. As students design supply chains and simulate urban planning, while he earned his MBA from
their operations, they experience the challenges and dilemmas that all supply chain managers encounter. Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of
Students learn by doing, and can experience frustration in the process of finding out what works. Yet, I Management.
notice that whatever happens, students start speaking and thinking like real supply chain managers as they His book Essentials of Supply Chain Management is
describe their problems and discuss possible solutions. In doing so, they are integrating large amounts of reported by Amazon.com as the best selling supply
chain book worldwide since 2004. His newest book is
information and achieving levels of professional understanding every bit as relevant in the real world as in
Enterprise Games: Using Game Mechanics to Build a
the simulated world of SCM Globe. Students are involved and learning. Better Business.

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of Gamification in Learning?
BY MICHAEL OSBORNE
Ten years ago, classroom-based business simulations were novel and intriguing. Today, the world has
changed. More and more companies now look online for training. Serious games and e-learning have Michael Osborne
become more mainstream and this is a trend that is becoming increasingly mobile. Keeping up-to-date
with technology trends is essential for any business and for ProfitAbility, this is no different. Position: Simulation Technology Developer

My role at ProfitAbility has been to create an online platform to digitise existing and creating new business Company: Red F Design and ProfitAbility Learning
& Development Services
simulations. So, when moving online, what changes? Why not do a straight translation?
Short Bio
The answer, in short, is the User Experience (UX). In the classroom, a large group of participants split into
competitive teams and determined to outperform each other generates a huge buzz. Take that away, Mike is a Games Technology graduate from the
University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol, UK.
disperse the teams, and what are you left with? The simulation can still work the same, but the experience He specializes in design, particularly for games, and
is very different. Suddenly youre on your own - no friends to ask, no Facilitator to guide you or instruct has a keen interest in gamification and eLearning.
you on what do next. Finding yourself in this situation is very daunting off-putting even. So how do you
Mike has spent the last few years working for
maintain the participants interest and keep them motivated? How do you make the actions to complete ProfitAbility Learning & Development Services,
obvious to the user and show their progression? The solution is to gamify! developing an online business simulation platform.
Gamification can massively boost participant and client engagement! You can visit his website at: www.mikeozzy.co.uk.

The most effective uses of gamification in learning are:

Illustrating progress

Increasing engagement

Creating challenges

Instilling a sense of accomplishment

Gamification can make e-learning beautifully intuitive. For example, building in levels is not just a
great way of showing progress, it also allows you to start with the basics and get more complex as their
understanding of the content develops.
By gamifying, you harness the power of what humans inherently love to do play games.

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of Gamification in Learning?
BY NATALIE DENMEADE
Gamification has been simply defined as the use of game-like elements in non-game settings. However,
ever since the serpent challenged Eve to imagine what life would be like if she partook of the tree of Natalie Denmeade
knowledge, people interested in behaviour changes (aka educators) have been implementing a whole
range of game-like elements: imaginative role-play, simulation, rewards, goals, challenges, etc. Position: Gamification Consultant

I am not convinced that education is a non-game context; according to Shakespeare neither is life, as we Company: Moojoo
are all merely players. Short Bio

Educators know that play is the highest form of research. I prefer this definition: Gamification is the Natalie works as an educational gamification
process of using game like thinking and dynamics to engage audiences and solve problems. Our western consultant. She is interested in researching emerging
technologies and how gamification can transform
education system has always been gamified at a systemic level, but it will evolve into a post-industrial traditional assessment and delivery methods to
phase. We have new cultural and global problems to solve and educators agree that there is room for enable higher engagement and completion. Her
improvement in engagement levels; this is where education and games diverge. technical experience covers Moodle Learning
Management System, Mobile Computing, and Web
Personally I am green with envy at game designers who can attract such high rates of engagement and Technologies. Her recently published Moodle for
build resilience in their players. I envy their budgets and their brilliance at invoking evolutionary human Motivation Tool Guide has been distributed widely
traits to their benefit. I admire the respect game designers have attributed to players and hence avoided as a useful tool to promote diversity in eAssessment
the condescension and authoritarianism often associated with teachers. using gamification strategies. She has developed an
award-winning Moodle course using gamification
So, I intend to deconstruct their magical formulas and steal their insights and modify my own teaching principles. She has recently managed two National
practices accordingly. To date I have discerned that the main way gamification reshapes learning is VET eLearning Strategy projects that explored mobile
learning and Google Apps for Education. Her latest
by permitting learners to set and understand their own goals; by re-defining failure; and by changing
project involves a next-level gamified Knowledge
feedback to be fair, frequent, granular, and not fully contingent on the teacher. Codeacademy.com is the Platform developed to transfer the ownership and
best example I have seen to empower learners to feel like a hero through gamification. boundaries from isolated and institutionalised to a
collaborative learner driven system.

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of Gamification in Learning?
BY DR. PANAGIOTIS ZAHARIAS
My experience with gamification for the advancement of learning comes from two experiments that I
conducted in two separate classes in a higher education environment. Both had to do with teaching IT skills. Dr. Panagiotis Zaharias
The first one was a class about web design:
I designed the course and the activities, so as to have the Codecademy platform as the main platform for Position: UX Researcher | Adjunct professor

teaching and practicing web design skills (Html, CSS and Javascript). Codecademy offers game mechanics Company:
such as points and badges and the vast majority of the students (78%) stated that they highly enjoyed
Short Bio
earning points and badges and that it was something to keep them engaged.
Panagiotis holds a Ph.D. degree in Information
Besides using the platform in the classroom, I was asking students to practice at home and send me a Systems from the Department of Management
snapshot of their dashboard just before every class. By checking this, I developed a leaderboard where Science & Technology at Athens University of
students on top were the ones with many points and badges. Although not all of them liked this kind of Economics and Business, where he also received a
first degree in Informatics and a Masters degree in
competition (around 50% said that they liked the leaderboard), most of them (78%) said that this was a
Information Systems. His main research interests are
motivating factor for more hard work and participation outside the classroom. focused on User Experience and usability evaluation
The second class was an Introduction to Programming. Edmodo was chosen as the main platform for communication methods, e-learning design and evaluation,
Gamification and serious games / Game-Based
and management of learning activities. The course was gamified through the following mechanics:
Learning. He has published more than 50 papers
There was a mission (programming exercise) every week for the students outside the classroom. Upon in scientific journals and conference proceedings.
completion of the mission and the submission of their work, students were gaining experience points and He is currently an adjunct professor of Information
Systems and a freelance UX and e-learning
according to their performance they were awarded with Edmodo badges (i.e. hard worker, student of the
consultant.
month, homework helper etc.).
You can visit his website or contact him at
Participation and engagement was very high, as 87% of the students followed the missions and submitted pz@aueb.gr.
their work. Almost 60% said that awarding badges was a good thing and a motivating factor, while 93%
liked the missions and the fact that they gained experience points.
Lessons learned: Although gamification is not effective for everyone and besides the fact that a limited
gamification approach was implemented (limited to points, badges and leaderboards), I saw that most of
the students enjoyed it and it seems that benefits in terms of active participation and engagement are great.
It is evident that more advanced approaches are needed to further explore the learning effectiveness of
gamification in education. First empirical data show that it is worth the effort.

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 Free eBook - How Gamification Reshapes Learning
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of Gamification in Learning?
BY ROMAN RACKWITZ
When I failed my 8th grade, most adults thought that the reason was simply that I had been distracted by
videogames. Although I spent much less time playing than doing sports, it was (and obviously still is) the Roman Rackwitz
common perception that often games are responsible for undesirable results in school.
Position: Founder of Engaginglab & Partner at
But now, just for a second, lets change this perspective. Think about this: Why blame a game for being so Enterprise Gamification Consultancy (EGC).
engaging and motivating that school seems to be so damn boring in comparison to it? Shouldnt we learn from
Company: Engaginglab
the best and try to fix whats wrong with education? Or in a nutshell: Dont blame the gamer, blame the game.
Short Bio
Games are artificial learning environments. There is no game without a challenge that you have to overcome.
We love to be challenged. Our brain is a learning engine and it was developed only for this one purpose. Roman Rackwitz is a Gamification Pioneer from
Germany.
By deconstructing games and reverse-engineering what makes them successful to engage, challenge and While leading Europes first established Full-Service-
keep us focused you should consider this: Gamification-Agency and being a partner at EGC,
the international Consultancy focused totally on
1. You have to know the individual students and you have to design their own Path to Mastery adapted
Gamification, EGC, he is also responsible for the
to their personal skills & needs. Germanys first official Gamification lecture at a
Business University.
2. Provide real-time feedback. Learning means trial and error and only by providing real-time feedback
we feel comfortable to try something new and difficult because we can adjust our actions accordingly. To grow awareness around the topic of Gamification
In school normally we get feedback when it is already too late, right? he also founded GamifyCon, an annual Gamification
Conference in Germany and co-founded GamFed,
3. Respect the psychology of our species, e.g. build on progress rather than penalty. If students have the only Gamification Association in the world,
the feeling that they can only progress but not lose already earned achievements they become much dedicated to areas like ethics, industry-standards,
legal issues, and more.
more confident and gain a feeling of autonomy.
While engineering is the secret power of an
4. Context beats pure content. We humans are bad at just memorizing stuff. There is a reason why industrialzed society, Gamification has the potential
games are created around themes, why we remember great stories better than simple bullet points, to become the secret power for a knowledge society.
or why storytelling is such a powerful marketing tool. Embrace intrinsic motivators like power, Engineering meets Enjoyneering.
autonomy and belonging.

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of Gamification in Learning?
BY ROSS SMITH
Play is a natural way for animals to learn. From sparring tiger cubs to roly-poly puppies, all animals have
used play to learn the skills of adulthood. Games provide structure and rules for play invented rules help
keep the participants engaged and motivated. As we narrow down to the human world of learning, and
sprinkle in the current technological capabilities, the mechanics of games become an intriguing tool to
assist in motivation and engagement. In 1958, Michael Polanyi introduced the idea of tacit knowledge in
his work on Personal Knowledge and while game mechanics can help measure explicit knowledge, its
the ability of games to motivate the acquisition of tacit knowledge that is the most exciting.
Tacit knowledge is that we cannot describe how to ride a bike for example and is not a realm of formal
study. However, in an organization, this is the most impactful on productivity, retention, organizational
health and effectiveness. Game mechanics help attract, direct, and engage people in behaviors that
drive organizational learning and the spread of tacit knowledge. The existence of games at work are an
aberration unexpected, and thereby attractive in their uniqueness and incredibly effective in motivating
behaviors designed to encourage the spread of tacit knowledge.
Practically speaking, much has been written of our work in assessing the linguistic quality of Windows
(link) but is a great example of how gamification can motivate the transfer of tacit knowledge (software
language localization in this case) via the use of game elements. Beyond this, there are hundreds of
examples of using games to help keep learners engaged. Our work has been focused on the use of games
in the enterprise, and the ability of game mechanics to motivate employees to engage and collaborate to
share their tacit knowledge is unparalleled. The organizational rewards are obvious, but to be able to offer
a return to employees is the value that game mechanics can offer. As we think about 21st century learning,
particularly in business, the idea of using play and games to help employees share tacit knowledge is as
natural as what the sparring tiger cubs have already learned games and play can help us learn from each
other what we dont realize we know. Tacit knowledge is required to succeed in life, and as an organization.
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Ross Smith
Position: Director of Test
Company: Skype Division, Microsoft
Short Bio
Ross Smith really enjoys getting a paycheck to play with software
for 25 years now, over 20 at Microsoft. Most of his career has been
in testing and QA roles- including Test Architect. Prior to joining
Lync/Skype he spent 17 years in either Windows or Office. He is
one of the authors of The Practical Guide to Defect Prevention
and holds six patents, latest in Nov, 2012. 42projects has aspired to
promote cultural change, bring buzz and laughter to the hallways.
In December 2011, he was invited to the White House for a
discussion on women in STEM. He has blogged on Take the
Work out of Work. The teams unique approach to reorg -
WeOrg: The Freedom to Choose, and using games to raise funds
for disaster relief Communicate Hope case study have won
awards. His weekly newsletters on management innovation are
here. Gamification Summit 2013 here.
PSFK: How Microsoft Builds Employee Trust in the Workplace and
Engaging Leader series interview iTunes
American Journal of Play: How Play and Games Transform the
Culture of Work
He believes strongly that the Future of Work is Play. Productivity
games work covered in Forbes and Forrester and Microsoft Next.
The London School of Business published a case study:, Game
On: Theory Y meets Generation Y More on organizational trust -
Trusted Advisor and Financial Times case study
 Free eBook - How Gamification Reshapes Learning
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of Gamification in Learning?
BY B. SANTHOSH KUMAR
We, human beings, are natural gamers! In our childhood, we freely exhibit and experience our liking for games. However, when we grow up, while some of us are
lucky enough to carry this interest forward, others let go of it due to various reasons. However, the fact is that most of us still have a liking to play games if and when
given an opportunity. This, as we know, is basically because games are fun, engaging, challenging, and, above all, motivating. Last but not the least, games allow us
to fail again and again, and reflect on these failures till we win by going through multiple lives, which would otherwise only be a beautiful dream in our real lives.
B. Santhosh Kumar
Those of us who think were not for games, are actually (unknowingly) engaging with interesting elements of gamification while interacting with social
Position: Vice President
networking sites and others (in the form of Progress Bars, Likes, Ratings, etc.).
In my two decades of career in Learning Design (in the role of researching, designing, managing, and delivering learning for some of the best known Company: Learnnovators
schools, institutions, and organizations worldwide), Ive experienced the magical power of gamification in learning, and was lucky enough to work on
Short Bio
opportunities to tap its power to help make learning fun and engaging (for kids and for adults, in face-to-face sessions and in online learning courses).
All this happened much before this methodology was seriously considered as a valid learning strategy by the industry. Even though the methodologies Santhosh Kumar is Vice President at Learnnovators a cool
vary, Ive seen gamification to be highly powerful for learners of any age, and for the different modes of learning. learning solutions company based out of Chennai, India.
Gamification is evolving to become one of the most powerful driving forces for learner engagement. Here are some of the most effective uses of
Santhosh carries with him around 20 years of experience
Gamification in workplace learning:
in the education and learning business, having worked in
Gamification is the future of workplace learning. It can power up learning, which like many other areas, fosters active engagement. Gamified learning Design & Development, Delivery, and Management. He has
is already helping make organizational L&D areas, such as onboarding, sales training, safety training, and compliance training (and even the more worked with leading learning and education companies in
complex areas such as knowledge management, process adherence, business ethics, and business continuity management) engaging and impactful, the world including Futurekids, The Fourth R, NIIT, Hurix
resulting in highly productive employees and meaningful ROIs for organizations across the world. Systems, and Expertus. He has also authored a set of
Gamification can boost the adoption of mobile learning in workplaces. It can achieve this by adding a layer of competition to the byte-sized, just-in- books for computer learning (with a thematic and activity-
time and performance support learning interventions that are specifically made available for learners through their workplace app stores. based approach) that are being used for over ten years by
thousands of schools across India.
Gamification can impact informal (on-the-job) and social learning (peer learning) in workplaces by bringing in excitement into the collaborative learning space.
It can be one of the most effective driving factors in this age of self-directed learning, where learners themselves take responsibility for their learning activities. As part of his work at Learnnovators, Santhosh writes
regularly on his company blog on emerging trends in
Gamification can power up corporate MOOCs by fostering learner engagement, which otherwise could pose various challenges. Some of the more
the learning landscape. He also manages the company
complex gamification elements and mechanics (such as competitions and bonuses) are powerful enough to prevent learners from dropping out of
corporate MOOCs by making learning challenging and addictive. LinkedIn group, and is an active contributor sharing his
insights on the different aspects of learning.
Gamification can enhance the effectiveness of flipped classrooms in workplaces by motivating learners to do their individual research (as part of their
homework), as well as collaborative practice and application (as part of their classwork), in a highly compelling and competitive manner. Santhosh is passionate about exploring the possibilities
of emerging technologies to help people experience
Gamification can boost Bring-Your-Own-Devices (BYOD) in workplaces, by motivating learners to engage more with workplace learning interventions. learning in natural ways.
To conclude, it is exciting to see how gamification is all set to reshape learning. As Karl Kapp said in his interview with Learnnovators, Gamification
will disrupt many of todays learning approaches. It wouldnt be a surprise to see points and badges (and other complex gamification elements) playing
a major role in our profile credentials and hiring decisions in the near future. However, as being widely discussed, only good gamification will succeed,
for which proper design is the key. And, a proper gamification design demands a diverse and distinctive set of qualities and competencies. As Learning
Designers, this is the time for us to step up to upskill ourselves to design and deliver effective gamified learning experiences for todays workplaces.

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 Free eBook - How Gamification Reshapes Learning
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Table of Contents

of Gamification in Learning?
BY SHARON BOLLER
Games are powerful engagement tools. They trigger emotion, fuel competitive spirit (or a cooperative
spirit if designed as a cooperative game), and immerse us. These attributes make them powerful as Sharon Boller
learning tools, too. I have used games or gamification techniques in a variety of situations. Here are
four situations that I think are all good uses of either a game or a gamification of the learning experience: Position: President

People need to know something cold (e.g. from memory, sort of like multiplication tables) and its Company: Bottom-Line Performance, Inc.

not information that is enjoyable or easy to learn on its own. Short Bio

Peoples hearts and emotions need to be affected in order to open up to new ways of viewing or Sharon is president of Bottom-Line Performance, Inc.,
understanding something. a learning design company she founded in 1995.
She is also a passionate game player and designer
People need a safe way to evaluate their skills and behaviors and to improve them. Example: People who ardently believes in the power games have to
who think they are stellar at project management can play a project management game and get an help us learn.
entirely new insight into how they ACTUALLY behave when faced with constraints or pressures. She is the lead designer of the Knowledge Guru
game engine, a game engine product that started
People need ongoing motivation in order to stay engaged in a long-term endeavor (a certification being developed in 2009 and was launched in the
process, a long-term company initiative). market at the end of 2012.

Example: We worked with a global company this year to prepare sales reps for the launch of a new You can read her blogs at:
product AND their first-ever Android Smartphones. We created a mobile game that helped them build www.bottomlineperformance.com/lolblog/ and
www.theknowledgeguru.com/blog/
their product knowledge, as well as skills in navigating the phone and accessing information. They loved
competing, achieving new levels, and seeing their scores go up. The games challenges and feedback
kept them highly engaged, and by the end of the game, they were adept at linking product features and
benefits to specific customer questions and objections AND in using their phones.

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of Gamification in Learning?
BY SHERRY JONES
Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) is the pedagogical method of teaching theories or concepts through
play in digital simulations. Unlike gamification, which is the layering of game mechanics on non-game Sherry Jones
environments, DGBL calls for the direct use of digital games as educational texts (game genres such as
adventure, platformer, AI, interactive fiction, mmorpg, sandbox, and more can be used). I assign digital Position: Philosophy, Rhetoric, and Game Studies
games in my college courses to provide students with safe, virtual environments for engaging in playful Instructor
problem solving, while cultivating their creative and critical thinking skills. Company: Colorado Community College System (CCCS)

One of my most well received DGBL assignments employs the first person interactive fiction game, Short Bio
The Stanley Parable, for teaching the philosophical theories of free will and determinism. The Stanley Sherry Jones is a Philosophy, Rhetoric, and Game
Parable is a narrative-driven game that places the responsibility of choice on the player. The premise of Studies Instructor for the University of Colorado,
the game is simple: Stanley must make certain choices in order to recall why he wakes up alone in an Denver and Colorado Community College System,
and has presented over 40 conference sessions
empty office building. During gameplay, the player is constantly prompted by a non-visible omniscient
and webinars on digital game-based learning,
narrator to make certain choices, which according to the narrator are pre-destined. The player must make gamification, and project-based learning for higher
some choices to progress, but has the option of either following or ignoring the narrators persistent, education. She also serves as the Project Leader,
unsolicited advice. Several outcomes are possible depending on the players choices. UX Designer, and Instructor for rgMOOC (Rhetoric
and Game-Based MOOC), Chief Technology Officer
To complete my DGBL assignment, my philosophy students must play through The Stanley Parable, and for the Writing and Technology Council, and Judge
write an analytical essay on whether or not Stanley has free will. My students revealed that they felt the for the 2013 and 2014 SIIA CODiE Awards in Best
need to conduct extensive research on free will and determinism to properly analyze the game that they Education Game and Simulation Category. Her
enjoyed. Essentially, I use the game to help students recognize how philosophy applies to understanding upcoming publication is on Composition on a New
Scale: Game Studies and Massive Open Online
the world, and to raise the rigor of their writing. My students enthusiastic responses make the game a Composition for CCCC 2014.
must play in my philosophy courses.
You can visit her visual bio at:
http://vizify.com/sherryjones

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of Gamification in Learning?
BY T. RAVEN MEYERS
Gamification techniques promote efficient learning by maximizing user engagement in creative ways
that traditional learning cannot match. In our primary niche (medical education), medical students often T. Raven Meyers
must endure academic torture by studying complex medical science concepts through the traditional
medium of organized study, including attending boring classes, reading dense textbooks, and practicing Position: COO/CEO
thousands of arduous vignettes. Company: Precision Enterprises, LLC and Social
Cause Marketing
While all students must go through this pathway, as indeed this is a rite of passage for them, this process
is clearly tedious and most students need to set aside large blocks of time to process their material, Short Bio
often with low retention rates. In early 2014, we released a medical gaming app called Scrub Wars that T. Raven Meyers is the Chief Operating Officer of
uses action-themed gameplay to promote the retention of high-yield clinical facts for their board and Precision Enterprises, LLC and the CEO of Social
course exams. Studying for exams was facilitated through an eLearning platform (through a mobile iOS Cause Marketing. She is a strategic marketing and
new media professional with a background in design.
and Android app) using gamicifcation techniques (space shooter game) and spaced repetition (concepts
purposely repeated strategically to promote long-term retention) to promote micro-learning (studying in
small chunks of time in situations that are generally poor study conditions, such as waiting in line or in bed
before sleeping) of high-yield material.
Traditionalists often scoff at the idea of using games to promote learning, because they mistakenly
assume that the educational program is a substitute for learning through classroom and book study. If this
criticism is not immediately addressed through a strategic marketing campaign, then the learning game
is potentially doomed and will not get the opportunity to demonstrate its effectiveness. Our company
bypassed this erroneous assumption (and the negative press that surely would have followed) by
aggressively promoting the app as a supplementary test preparation method, instead of a replacement, to
traditional methods of study. Therefore, not only do study techniques that utilize gamification techniques
promote learning through an entertaining and engaging medium, but proper marketing of the program as
a compliment to traditional study is a necessary prerequisite in order for it to be promoted successfully.

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 Free eBook - How Gamification Reshapes Learning
What are the most effective uses
Table of Contents
of Gamification in Learning?
BY VICKI KUNKEL
Gamification is most effective as part of a long-term business strategy. Its not a one-off event (such as a
game); rather, its applying game mechanics (like motivation, rewards, recognition) to business challenges.
Gamification is most effective to affect behavior change or to increase specific skills.
For example, last year I designed a gamification platform for an insurance call center where the business
challenge was customer retention, the goal was one-call resolution, and the desired behavior changes
were to have call center agents stop putting customers on hold, stop transferring calls, and strategically
question and actively listen to customers. (Surveys showed hold times and transfers were the top hot
buttons for customers.) Agents were split into teams, and team members earned points for each time they
did not transfer a call or place a customer on hold. Double points were given if a customer complaint was
resolved with one call.
The company used data to track the performance of each agent and a leaderboard was automatically
updated daily. Teams received super powers attached to each level they achieved on the leaderboard.
One super power was Super Speed, where they could go right to the front of any line (such as the
cafeteria line). Another was Force Field, where winners could park in the executive-only, temperature-
controlled underground garage. (This was a coveted power in both the cold winter months and the hot
summer months!) The top super power was Invisibility which was a day off with pay for the ultimate
top performers.
For agents who found themselves on the bottom of the leaderboard, the platform would automatically
populate short, two-minute Power Boosters (video eLearning modules), which gave tips on strategic
questioning and listening skills to help agents better identify and solve customer issues on one call.
Three months after the gamification project was implemented, call hold times decreased by 17%; transfers
were reduced by 52%, and customer retention increased 31% over pre-gamification levels.
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Vicki Kunkel
Position: CEO/Director of Digital Content & eLearning
Company: Digital Wits
Short Bio
Vicki is an award-winning eLearning designer, entrepreneur,
researcher and former broadcast journalist. For more than
17 years Vicki owned a digital training company that created
employee and consumer eLearning programs for corporations
and universities. She also launched an online membership-based
university for entrepreneurs that had more than 1100 monthly
members and incorporated gamification and an augmented
reality product test environment.
Vicki has received numerous accolades and awards for her work,
including the Women with Vision award from the Womens
Bar Association of Illinois for her breakthrough research in
behavioral economics, and the Nalco Innovation Award for her
cutting-edge eLearning programs that incorporated immersive
simulation environments, 3D animated avatars, and gamification.
Because of her success in applying behavioral economics
research to online entrepreneurship training and gamification,
she was invited to be a panelist on the League of Extraordinary
Minds radio series along with other business luminaries
such as Tony Robbins, Stephen Covey, Michael Gerber, Robert
Cialdini and Fran Tarkenton. She is the author of a commercially-
published book about how behavioral economics impacts
audience reactions to people, products and entertainment.
Vicki currently owns Digital Wits - an eLearning agency that
uses gamification, 3D simulation environments and interactive
video scenarios to build consumer brands, drive revenues, and
increase employee and leadership performance.
You can read her blog at: www.digitalwits.com/el-tv/